[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48186-48187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16148]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Information Collection To Be Sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for Approval Under the Paperwork Reduction Act; OMB 
Control Number 1018-0128; Marine Turtle Conservation Fund Grant Program

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will submit the collection of 
information described below to OMB for approval under the provisions of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. We will use this information to determine 
which project proposals should be funded in accordance with the Marine 
Turtle Conservation Act (Pub. L. 108-266).

DATES: You must submit comments on or before October 17, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and suggestions on specific requirements 
to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, MS 222-ARLSQ, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection submission, explanatory information, and/or related forms, 
contact Hope Grey, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at 703-
358-2482 or electronically at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which 
implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies be given an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). On July 
29, 2005, OMB approved our emergency request for

[[Page 48187]]

information collection associated with the Marine Turtle Conservation 
Fund Grant Program. The supporting statement for our emergency request 
is available online at http://www.fws.gov/pdm/0128SupCurrent.pdf. The 
OMB control number for this collection is 1018-0128, which expires on 
January 31, 2006. We plan to request that OMB approve this information 
collection for a 3-year term. Federal agencies may not conduct or 
sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    Proposals submitted for funding under the Marine Turtle 
Conservation Act are subject to a panel review, comprised of in-house 
and select outside technical experts. The information collected under 
this program's Notice of Funding Availability includes: a project 
summary and narrative; letter of appropriate government endorsement; 
brief curricula vitae for key project personnel; and complete standard 
forms 424, 424a and 424b. Proposals from U.S. applicants also include a 
copy of the organization's Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement 
(NIRCA) (if applicable) and a complete DI-2010. The project summary and 
narrative is the basis for this information collection request for 
approval, and allows the review panel to assess how well the project 
addresses the priorities identified by the Act. As all of the projects 
under this Act will be conducted outside the United States, the letter 
of appropriate government endorsement ensures that the proposed 
activities will not meet with local resistance or work in opposition to 
locally identified priorities and needs. Brief curricula vitae for key 
project personnel allow the review panel to assess the qualifications 
of project staff to effectively carry out the project goals and 
objectives. Although the standard forms are only required for U.S. 
financial assistance applicants, we ask all applicants to submit these 
forms in order to allow for more uniformity across all proposals. As 
all Federal entities are required to honor the indirect cost rates an 
organization has negotiated with their cognizant agency, we require all 
organizations with a NICRA to submit the agreement paperwork with their 
proposals to verify how their rate is applied in their proposed budget. 
The DI-2010 is a required form for all U.S. financial assistance 
applicants.
    The information requested in this collection, outside of the 
required standard forms, is considered the minimum information 
necessary to allow the review panel sufficient technical, financial, 
and administrative information to determine the merits of each 
proposal, and to select the best projects for funding.
    Title: Marine Turtle Conservation Fund Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 1018-0128.
    Service Form Numbers: N/A.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Description of Respondents: Foreign governments; domestic and 
foreign nongovernmental organizations, and individuals.
    Total Annual Responses: 55 responses.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 660 hours.
    We invite comments concerning this collection on: (1) Whether or 
not the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether or not 
the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of burden on the public; (3) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond.

    Dated: August 3, 2005.
Hope Grey,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 05-16148 Filed 8-15-05; 8:45 am]
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